The Perils of a Bookman's Boredom
by black.k.kat
Summary: Unfortunately for those around him, Lavi's bored. And when he happens upon the greatest prank of all - making the Order's resident cat-and-dog couple fall for each other - they'll be lucky to get out alive. But there's something that he doesn't know...


**Rating:** M

**Word count:** ~ 5,400

**Warnings: **Fluff. Slash. Porn. Etc.

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the creators, and no copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: **As of 24/5/12, basic edits have been made. This has been altered from a multi0chaptered story, because it didn't need to be one. It is now a one-shot.

* * *

_**The Perils of a Bookman's Boredom**_

"I see a tale, dark stranger in your future, young man."

The words came from a vaguely human-shaped pile of scarves slumped over a crystal ball. The thing under them shifted and sighed, obviously trying to sound wise and mysterious. Unfortunately, it came out as more of a giraffe with laryngitis.

Allen cast the pile of scarves a look that, coming from anyone else, might have been called pitying. "Did Reever kick you out of the labs again, Komui?"

Komui drew himself up to his full height. It might have been more impressive if Lenalee's bright, glittery pink scarf hadn't been hanging from the corner of his glasses. "What did you say? Are you mocking the fate I read for you, Allen Walker? If I say there is a tall, dark stranger in your future, then there is a tall, dark stranger!"

Allen cast around for a way out that didn't involve a conversation with Komurin IV—or whatever number they were up to by now—and found it when a black-clad figure stalked through the doorway. "Kanda!" he called, gratefully ducking away from the Supervisor. "Did you just get back from a mission?"

"Tch." The other exorcist stomped right past him without pausing—for him, the equivalent of a cheerful greeting. "Moyashi, what the hell are you doing following me?"

Allen bristled. "I'm not _following you_, I'm going to the cafeteria! You just happen to be going the same way! You seem to think the whole world revolves around you, Bakanda."

Kanda twitched, freezing. Slowly, he swung around and glared at Allen. "What was that, baka moyashi?"

"Ba. Kan. Da." Allen annunciated each syllable clearly, eyes flashing angrily. "Maybe you should shave your hair. I think it's falling in your ears too much. I can help with that, if you want." He flexed his left hand, the metal fingers clicking innocently.

Kanda looked mere moments away from homicide, his fingers twitching over Mugen's hilt. "Say that again, moyashi," he growled.

Allen's self-preservation finally seemed to kick in, noticing the threat to life and limb—all limbs, with Kanda around. He took a step back and gave Kanda his most brilliant smile. "Being such a tightass all the time will make you go bald—I mean, I'm sorry, was I bothering you?"

Or maybe they hadn't.

"BAKA MOYASHI!"

* * *

"I'm boooored," Lavi complained.

The Bookman wasn't impressed. "Must I hang you out the window again?"

With a scowl at his guardian, Lavi beat a hasty retreat from their room. Last time, it had taken three finders, Allen, and six hours to get him down after he wore out the Bookman's patience. However desperate he was for entertainment, he wasn't _that_ desperate.

With a sigh, he linked his hands behind his head and headed for the cafeteria. If Allen was there, he might be able to get the younger boy to go along with one of his schemes, though it usually depended on how much mitarashi dango he could wheedle out of Jerry as a bribe. Still, there was nothing more fun than getting Allen into something and then jumping ship on him, though the amount of mitarashi dango he had to use went up exponentially every time he did that.

He was just about to cross into the Order's main hall, still contemplating what he could do to relieve his boredom, when a small hand closed over his elbow, jerking him out of the way as a white-haired form went hurtling past, crashing into the far wall. Lavi blinked in surprise as Lenalee dragged him around the corner a moment before Kanda went streaking by them, Mugen unsheathed, obviously out for blood. And when Kanda was like that, he didn't care _whose_ blood it happened to be.

"Careful," Lenalee warned as Lavi tried to peer around the corner. "They've been going at it for almost an hour now."

Lavi surveyed the tattered remains of the hall and felt his eyebrows rise. "So I see." He took a discreet step back as Kanda and Allen reemerged from the cloud of dust and stone chips Allen's impact had thrown up. Allen had the Crown Clown invoked, his long metal claws catching Mugen before it could do any harm. Aware of the advantage, Kanda kept out of reach, hacking at the other exorcist with the homicidal fury born of too many samurai jokes.

"They look like they're having so much fun," Lavi said wistfully.

"Yes, of course," Lenalee agreed, patting him gently on the shoulder. "Are you been feeling all right, Lavi?" Her voice was sympathetic, but she really did feel for him, losing his mind at such a young age. It had to be the stress.

But Lavi wasn't listening. He had just struck upon the perfect plot, and rounded on Lenalee, seizing her hands. "Don't they look wonderful together?" he demanded. "Look at them! Wouldn't they make a perfect couple? We should try to get them to admit their feeling for each other, Lenalee!"

A crash sounded from behind them as one of the combatants went flying through the stained-glass window.

"Ah…" Lenalee cast a glance over her shoulder, to where Allen was just pulling himself upright. Kanda was standing over him like an executioner, Mugen at the ready, but even so, she had to admit they _were_ striking. Kanda was dark where Allen was light, tall where the other boy was petite. Despite all the instincts screaming otherwise, she was tempted.

Still there was one rather large problem. "Bu, Lavi…don't Allen and Kanda hate each other?"

Lavi brushed that off as insignificant. "Julie de Lespinasse once said, 'You know that when I hate you, it is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul.' I think it's like that. Will you help me, Lenalee?"

She still didn't look convinced. "But…"

Lavi racked his incredible brain, mentally thumbing through his file of appropriate blackmail until he came to the folder marked, "Lenalee Lee." Then, with a smirk, he leaned forward and whispered something in the girl's ear.

Lenalee went white, and offered weakly, "Of course, Lavi. Whatever you want. How can I help?"

Lavi grinned to himself and rubbed his hands together.

The day had just gotten a lot better.

* * *

In the process of extracting himself from one of the potted trees around the door, Kanda suddenly froze. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to survey the room as a shiver raced down his spine. He looked at Allen, who also looked a touch unsettled.

"Did you feel that?"

Allen cast a fearful glance over his shoulder, trying to rub his goosebumps away. "That…that wasn't an akuma, was it?"

His voice didn't sound overly hopeful.

"No," Kanda said grimly, trying to hold back his shudders. "It was something a lot worse."

* * *

Locking them in a room together hadn't had the desired effect, Lavi admitted to himself. Neither had sending love notes. Allen hadn't even noticed the note slipped under his door and signed with Kanda's name, and had stomped right over it. Kanda had picked up his note, read it, seen the signature, and disappeared back into his room. For a moment, Lavi had entertained a brief hope—

—Only to lose it as Kanda reemerged, shredded the paper, and dropped a lit match on top of the pile of scraps before disappearing back into his room.

Lavi's later gifts of flowers and a nice wine begged from Jerry had met similar fates. Lavi couldn't help but be a _little_ impressed. Even he hadn't known you could get wine to do that.

"That guy's door to love is jammed halfway. Any more ideas?" Lavi asked morosely, looking over at his partner in crime. This was rapidly become more of a headache than a distraction, but the junior Bookman was stubborn. He wasn't about to give up. Not to Allen and Kanda, of all people.

Lenalee frowned, tapping a finger against her lips. Despite herself, she was getting drawn into this game. After all, wasn't this pairing every fangirl's dream? And since she could easily blame the whole thing on Lavi if it went south…well, there was no better chance to do a little not-so-harmless manipulating, right?

"Maybe…" She trailed off as she suddenly realized the one thing that was as close to foolproof as they could get—and foolproof it needed to be, with Kanda _and_ Lavi around. She loved them both dearly, but the latter was dumb and the former just plain stupid. Decidedly, she nodded to herself and stood. "Stay here, Lavi. I've got something that will help." Still smiling, the girl disappeared down the hallway at a run.

Lavi looked after her in confusion, then shrugged and turned back to his contemplation. There just _had _to be a way, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't find it.

* * *

"Here you go, Allen!" Lenalee said brightly, offering the younger exorcist a cupcake. "I just made these. Would you like to try one?"

Allen's eyes lit up, and down it went into the bottomless, cast-iron pit that was his stomach. "Thanks, Lenalee! I was just starting to get hungry. It tastes wonderful."

Lenalee beamed, trying not to feel guilty in the face of Allen's innocent smile. Then she remembered the last time she had played poker with him and all guilt—and ideas of his innocence—died a horrible, screaming death. "Oh, good! I'm glad you liked it. But if you're hungry, shouldn't you go to the cafeteria? I'm sure Jerry would be happy to feed you."

She carefully didn't mention that that was where Kanda had just headed after he had accepted her offering of a cup of tea. After all, there were some things that Allen just didn't need to know.

A touch sheepishly, Allen nodded. "That was where I was going. See you later, Lenalee. And than you for the cupcake."

Lenalee watched him walk away, then ducked around a corner and gave her partner-in-crime a thumbs-up. "He ate it, and he's headed for the cafeteria. Is Kanda still there?"

Reever—who, thanks to Lavi's detailed knowledge of everyone's juiciest secrets, had become a devoted convert to the junior Bookman's cause—rolled his eyes. "Still there and glowering at his soba, like usual. Is this really going to work?"

Lenalee gave him a look. "Shouldn't we be asking you that? Is that chemical really going to help? Are we really going through with this?"

"It had better work," Reever said grimly. "If not, our secrets are going to be spread all over the Order by tomorrow morning—and I, for one, would rather die than see that happen. Sacrificing Allen and Kanda? Piece o' cake."

The girl thought about what would happen if her brother ever found out about her passionate—and secret; very, very secret—affair with Miranda, and winced. "Right. Let's go see how they're doing."

United in their misery, the exorcist and the scientist departed quickly.

* * *

Allen stared at his fork, studying it and ignoring the piles of food in front of him. His mouth felt…lonely, he supposed, though there was something off about that assessment. He wanted something, could feel the need for some unnamed object twisting through his mind. With a sigh, he speared a piece of tofu and popped it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the chunk and carefully sucking it off the tines. It tasted good. So good, in fact, that he sucked at the fork, sweeping his tongue up and down the metal to get off every last bit of sauce. Then he took another piece and repeated the process. This time, he couldn't help but moan a little at the glorious taste that flooded his mouth.

There was a collective gulp from the tables around him.

Kanda, seated across the table from him, didn't look up, though there was a suspiciously glazed look in his eyes as he commanded, "Stop molesting your food, moyashi."

Allen shot him an affronted look, and pulled the utensil from his mouth with a pop. "I'm _not_ molesting my food, Bakanda."

"Tch. You're practically raping your fork."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Boys!" Jerry's authoritative voice cut through the argument. "If you're going to fight, don't do it in my kitchen!"

Since disobeying Jerry's orders always resulted in tree days of cold, half-cooked meals for the unfortunate rule-breaker, Kanda and Allen wasted no time leaping to their feet and streaking out of the hall. They had barely passed the doors when a flurry of white cloth covered Allen, and Kanda's ever-present sword leapt free of its sheath. Then they were lost from view as the doors slammed shut.

Jerry sighed, turning back to his stove. "Well, I suppose that counts as out of the cafeteria."

"Will…will they be all right?" one of the newer Finders ventured cautiously, wondering why no one around him was jumping up to help either exorcist. After all, they had looked just this side of murderous as they left.

Marie waved that away. "It's just Kanda and Allen," he explained gently. "They act like the oldest married couple in the Order. This happens all the time." He smiled slightly, knowing something that no one else did, and pleased by it.

The young man looked skeptical, but let it go at that.

* * *

"What the _hell_ do you think you were doing in there?" Kanda demanded, using the Crown Clown's hood to pin Allen to the wall. They _had_ managed to get further away from the cafeteria, now in the hall by the entrance to the exorcists' personal quarters.

Allen struggled against the grip, but couldn't budge either of them. His hands were busy keeping Mugen from impaling him. "I wasn't doing anything!" he protested weakly. For a while, the fight had kept him preoccupied, but now…now his mouth was starting to feel lonely again. He licked his lips unconsciously, trying to remedy that.

Kanda's eyes glazed over as he followed the movement of that small, pink tongue and recalled how it had looked wrapped around that fork. Then his imagination replaced the fork with something better, and he groaned.

Hearing the low, pained sound, Allen stopped struggling and looked up at his captor. "Kanda? Are you—mmph!"

That was all he got out before Kanda's mouth crashed down over his, effectively sealing it. And then his mouth wasn't empty anymore. Kanda's tongue swept in, fierce and hot, and Allen moaned as all the wanting disappeared. _This_ was what he had needed.

Finally, Kanda dragged his head away, breathing hard. In a swift movement, he sheathed Mugen and grabbed Allen's wrist, dragging the other man after him down the hall. His voice emerged as a bare growl.

"Your room or mine?"

Allen's legs went weak, but he managed to keep up and answer at the same time. "Mine. General's rooms are closer."

Kanda closed his eyes briefly, releasing a prayer of thanks that Allen had been made a General. It meant he would have a bigger bed, too. "All right. In. _Now_." He threw open the door and all but tossed Allen onto the wide mattress.

Allen landed with a yelp and a bounce, then didn't have time for anything more before Kanda was on him, pressing him down into the thick quilt. The samurai grabbed Allen's head in his hands, positioning his mouth so that he could get the best angle. His hands fisted in the smaller man's soft, baby-fine white hair, not gentle at all, but Allen didn't care. He arched up under Kanda's body, rubbing against the straining erection that ground into his hip. All the while, Kanda was devouring Allen, his tongue dipping in, tasting, teasing, fucking the other man's mouth in an imitation of what his body wanted to do elsewhere.

Allen whimpered as Kanda rubbed against his aching erection, and wrapped his hands in Kanda's long hair, pulling out the tie and sending it spilling over the two of them. The strands fell like dark silk against his skin, and he wrapped his hands in them, pulling the other man back just enough that he was able to breathe.

"Kanda," he whispered, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and need. "I want you in my mouth. I'm so…empty."

Kanda closed his eyes as a shiver raced down his spine, the image from before bursting back into his mind. He was half-surprised that it wasn't accompanied by a marching band and a choir singing the Hallelujah chorus. Not needing any more prompting, he rolled off of Allen and dragged the man halfway into his lap, yanking off the neat white shirt and tossing it out of the way without a care for where it landed. Allen's fingers were busy with his own belt, his teeth occupied with loosening Kanda's. Kanda helped, peeling off his exorcist's coat and undoing his pants as soon as the belt was free. The material landed in a heap on the floor, Allen's quickly following, and was soon joined by two pairs of boxers.

Finally naked—though if there was a land-speed record for getting out of tight clothes, they had probably just broken it—Allen draped himself over Kanda's lap and eyed the engorged shaft bobbing in front of him, then shot the other exorcist a wicked grin. "Are you sure you want this? It looks like you're about to—"

"Stop talking, moyashi," Kanda growled, winding a hand in that soft white hair. It was longer now that Allen was a General, and a corner of his mind wondered if it was a dress code thing, that Generals had to have long hair. If it was, he was glad. With his fair hair falling over his face, his eyes dilated with want, and his porcelain skin flushed sea-shell pink, Allen was one of the most erotic things he had ever seen.

Allen's breathing stuttered at the roughness in Kanda's voice, and he shivered. The domineering attitude that so aggravated him was an incredible turn-on at the moment. So he obeyed, leaning forward and sliding his lips over the crown of Kanda's cock. He sucked just the tip into his mouth, running his tongue over the smooth surface and the slit there. Kanda's taste flooded his senses, making him moan, and Kanda shuddered above him. Long-fingered hands wound in his hair, pushing his head down farther as Kanda rasped, "Get on with it, moyashi!"

Smiling around his mouthful, Allen changed angles and took all of Kanda in his mouth in a single swoop, then slid back up the shaft with maddening slowness, his tongue tracing the veins and smooth skin as he went. Kanda groaned above him, hips twitching, but he kept himself from thrusting into the other man's mouth. Letting go of Allen with one hand, he leaned forward, sliding his palm along the smaller boy's skin in a hungry caress. Allen rewarded him with a hard suck that had Kanda seeing stars.

Knowing he wasn't going to last much longer, and fully prepared to take this situation as far as it could go, Kanda reluctantly tugged Allen out of his lap. "Enough, moyashi. My turn."

Allen released him with a pop that made his eyes cross, then shuddered at the look on his face. Without a word, he rolled over on his back and spread his legs in invitation. His breathing was choppy as he felt the desire building, his own shaft hard to the point of pain.

"Please, Kanda," he whispered.

Kanda smirked, leaning down to kiss his collarbone, then nipping at the pale skin. "Please what, Allen?" He went lower, licking a circle around Allen's nipple, but never touching the hard nub.

Allen whimpered at the feel of the other's tongue on him. "Kanda—"

Not waiting for him to finish, the older man pressed two fingers against his lips and murmured, "Suck."

Allen did as he was told, drawing the digits deep into his mouth and licking them desperately as Kanda continued his ministrations, carefully avoiding Allen's nipples, but laving the skin in between with his tongue. Then he started to work his way lower.

"You taste so good," he whispered, giving the inside of Allen's smooth tight a long, slow lick. "Like cream." His long fingers encircled Allen's cock, tightening and then slowly stroking the length. The motion was unhurried despite the need they both felt, and he used his body weight to pin one of the other exorcist's legs to the bed.

Allen moaned around Kanda's fingers, then released the digits and whimpered. "Please, Kanda! Please!"

Kanda smirked against Allen's skin, even as his fingers slid over the man's entrance, circling it teasingly. Oh so carefully, oh so slowly, one slick finger pushed past the tight ring of muscle and slid into his depths. Allen cried out at the intrusion, hips arching despite Kanda's weight on his leg. His eyes fluttered shut, his breathing increasing, and he grabbed for Kanda's hair again. "Kanda, please!"

"Please what?" Kanda asked, stopping his hand on Allen's shaft, his fingers deep inside the man's tight body. "Tell me what you want, Allen, or I won't give you anything."

As if to emphasize his point, he released Allen's cock and moved his hand away, fingers still maddeningly still. Allen squirmed, trying to push himself down, trying to impale himself further on those long fingers. Desperate, he gasped and threw his head back, letting out a long, keening moan.

"Kanda, please! Take me! Fuck me hard!"

The dirty words coming from Allen's luscious mouth made Kanda even harder, if that was possible. He closed his eyes, renewing a fraction of his control so that he didn't come on the spot, and then realized what was missing. "We need lube." He thought for a moment, then reached for his coat and what he knew was in one of the pockets.

"NO, Kanda. We are NOT using sword polish."

Kanda faltered slightly, then glared up at the panting, white-haired exorcist who was spread so temptingly over the bed. "Then what do you suggest? I'm not about to just stop." He scissored his fingers to prove the point.

Allen's head fell back, his swollen lips parting and allowing a needy moan to escape. "Bedside table…drawer…massage oil. Hurry!"

Not needing any more encouragement, Kanda lunged for the nightstand, dragged it open, and pulled out the item. Quickly, he poured out a palm-full, spreading some over himself and using the excess on Allen. The young General's body opened easily under the onslaught of Kanda's fingers, and Allen thrashed, whimpering again. The noise, coupled with the sight he made, was more than Kanda could take. Without pausing, he grabbed Allen's hips, flipped him over, and drove himself into the other exorcist.

Allen keened into the mattress, hands fisting in the quilt as he shuddered, trying to adjust to the feeling of being filled so completely. Above him, Kanda wrapped his arms around the smaller man's waist, leaning forward to lay a trail of kisses up his spine. Allen shivered as the samurai shifted within him, his muscles clenching involuntarily. With a hiss, Kanda tensed, and seemed to grow even larger inside of him. The General cried out again, then gripped the sheets and drove himself back against Kanda, impaling himself even more deeply. The thin thread of control that Kanda had been clinging to snapped, and he snapped his hips forward, driving Allen into the mattress as he settled into a hard, fast, and deep rhythm that left the smaller man with barely even enough breath to cry out. Both were breathing hard, and knew they wouldn't last long.

Kanda's hand slipped lower along Allen's hip, then closed around his shaft, pumping it. Allen gave a breathless moan, his muscles tightening again, and Kanda felt his release even before the hot cum spilled over his hand. With a groan, Kanda let go as well, plunging forward into the tight channel and releasing his seed deep within Allen's body.

They both stayed frozen for a long moment, heart rates slowing, and then Allen's arms folded under him, bearing him down to the bed as Kanda's softening shaft slipped out of him. Kanda shuddered at the feeling and let himself fall as well, dropping onto the bed next to Allen and curling himself around the smaller man. Allen turned in his arms and snuggled closer, resting his head on Kanda's shoulder with a contented sigh. With Kanda's arms around him, feeling wonderfully, deliciously sore, he let his eyes close and allowed sleep to overtake him.

Kanda looked down at the man in his arms and smiled, ever so slightly—not a smirk, not a sneer, but a real smile. He gently kissed Allen's forehead, brushing the long white hair out of his face, and then pulled the small exorcist closer. They fit together perfectly as they lay there, and Kanda found his eyes closing. With a soft sigh, he relaxed and let it, breathing in the faintly peppermint smell of Allen's hair as he drifted off.

* * *

Lavi, Lenalee, and Reever all waited with bated breath outside Allen's door, where they had been waiting for the past four hours already. Their breath hadn't been quite so bated before, but now there were sounds of stirring from within—and not just the moaning, screaming, and "Harder, Kanda! Take me!" that had been going on before. The door was opening.

Allen was the first one out, walking a touch gingerly. He stumbled, and Kanda was suddenly there, sliding as arm around the other man's waist and holding him up.

"Are you all right?" the samurai asked, much to the shock of those listening. Lavi even had to blink, rub his eyes, and check that this really was _Kanda_ that they were looking at.

Allen lifted one cool eyebrow at him. "I'd be better if you hadn't insisted on a fourth round, Bakanda. That's too much! I have a mission tomorrow!"

Kanda didn't look remorseful in the slightest. "You enjoyed it, moyashi, so don't you dare complain. And I'll be with you on the mission, so you don't have to worry about anything."

That surprised the white-haired exorcist. "You will? But I thought Marie—"

"Allen, Kanda!" Marie lifted a hand in greeting as he came down the hall. "I see you're finally up and about. Komui just agreed with the change, so Kanda will be accompanying you tomorrow, Allen. And he says that it's all right if you want to extend the trip by a few days, if you want to."

Allen frowned, looking up at the dark-haired man beside him. "Kanda? Why would we want to extend the trip? Isn't it—" The he broke off, his eyes widening, and smiled brilliantly. Rising up on tip-toe, he wrapped his arms around Kanda's neck. "Oh, you remembered! Thank you, Kanda!"

Kanda smiled down at him, shifting his grip to press Allen more tightly against him. "You're the one that forgot, moyashi. I should punish you for that." Even so, he leaned down for a quick kiss.

Marie watched them with indulgent amusement. "So what's the occasion? A trip to the Swiss Alps isn't something Komui would usually let you splurge on, so it has to be special."

Allen gave the other exorcist a brilliant smile, and fished under his shirt for a slender chain. When he held it up, the simple golden ring on it winked brightly in the torchlight. "It's our anniversary. Next week, we'll have been married for three years and together for—"

"Four," Kanda finished for him, producing a matching ring. "Komui and Link did the ceremony for us, three years back, but we've never really celebrated an anniversary before. Since this will be the first time we aren't on separate missions around this time, we wanted to enjoy ourselves."

"That's wonderful." Marie clapped them both on the shoulder. "Have a good trip, Kanda, Allen." With a wave, he headed back down the hall.

Allen and Kanda turned back to each other, and Kanda leaned down for another kiss, winding a hand in Allen's neatly-braided hair. It fell nearly below his shoulderblades, the perfect leverage for tilting his head back as Kanda kissed him, deep and slow. When they parted, the dark-haired exorcist growled low in his throat and leaned forward, nipping at Allen's neck. "You look like you just rolled out of bed after being fucked. I know you did, but what do you say we hop right back in?"

"Kanda!" In a flash, Allen was at arm's length, pushing the other exorcist away. "Four times wasn't enough for you, you pervert?"

Kanda growled again, this time more angrily, and he reached for the katana at his side. "What did you just call me, baka moyashi?" Mugen sizzled as he drew it.

Allen yanked down the hood that suddenly covered his white hair, leaping back to put space between them. "Pervert! That's what you are! Even if you _are_ going to be on the mission, I don't want you to carry me the whole time! I have to be able to walk!"

"That's it, you're _dead_," Kanda hissed. He lunged, and the hallway exploded into battle.

Lavi never noticed, sinking down onto the stone floor with glazed eyes.

"I never knew," he whispered dazedly. "I…didn't know. And I'm supposed to be the next Bookman. How did they hide it from me?"

Lenalee and Reever exchanged glances, then shrugged and stood up.

"You can't know everything," Lenalee told the redhead gently, then took herself off to find Miranda. After seeing that scene in the hallway, she was feeling a touch romantic and wanting to share it.

Reever patted Lavi on the shoulder. "She's right. And anyway, isn't this what you wanted anyway? They're together, and from the sound of it"—the wall shuddered as someone crashed into the stone on the other side—"they're doing quite well." Sticking his hands in his pockets, he strolled away to find the Supervisor and maybe seduce him into doing some more paperwork. After all these years, it was the most reliable method he'd found for getting some work out of the man.

Lavi just stayed where he was, his mind spinning. After a long minute, he groaned and leaned forward to drop his head onto his knees. Never again, he swore to himself. Never again would he allow his tedium to get the better of him.

There were definitely perils to a Bookman's boredom.


End file.
